Stephen J. Pandol, MD

Director, Basic & Translational Pancreas Research, Gastroenterology

Staff Physician, Cancer Biology & Therapeutics Research

Email:

Stephen.Pandol@cshs.org

Phone:

(310) 423-4139

Academic Appointments

Professor, Medicine

Research Focus

For pancreatitis, we focus on determining the intracellular signaling (i.e. protein kinases and calcium) and organellar disorders (ER stress and mitochondrial failure) that occur during pancreatitis with the aim of identifying key ones underlying the disease process that we use to develop treatments.

For pancreatic cancer, we focus on the mechanisms of the pro-cancer functions of cells in the microenvironment of the cancer (i.e. stellate cells, macrophages, immune cells) that are involved in promoting the growth and metastasis of the cancer. Our aim is to identify specific pathways these cells use to promote the cancer with a goal of developing novel treatments for the cancer as well as prevent occurrence initially and recurrence after initial treatment.

For diabetes, we focus on how nutrients in the intestine activate gut endocrine cells (i.e. glucagon-like peptide-1 cells, cholecystokinin cells) to regulate glucose metabolism and food intake. The work involves identification of sensors and their functions on the gut endocrine cells with the aim of developing treatments for diabetes through agents that modulate these sensors.

Research Contributions

Our research contributions include defining the molecular pathways that participate in the development of pancreatitis, as well as key molecular steps that are necessary for normal pancreatic tissue to transform into cancer.

Current investigations include:

Pancreatitis Projects:
Alcohol abuse and pancreatic necrosis; Smoking, alcohol abuse and pancreatitis; Alcohol abuse and endoplasmic reticulum dysfunction in exocrine pancreas; sXBP1: determinants of expression and role in preventing pancreatitis; Novel molecular mechanism in inflammation in macrophages and stellate cells in pancreas; Phytochemicals normalize inflammation and metabolism in pancreas; Targeted protein kinase D Inhibitor discovery and development for acute pancreatitis; Development of novel therapeutics to block IL22 function in pancreatitis; Functional MRI brain mapping in the evaluation of patients with abdominal pain